Historic Nebraska
Mug Shots George Ray

#3566
Manslaughter
Nebraska State Penitentiary

People rarely smiled in 19th
century photographs. Long exposure times are often blamed for
the lack of happy faces. By the end of the 19th century, advances
in photographic technology reduced exposures to seconds, but
having a photograph taken by a professional remained a serious
and sometimes sober occasion. Smiling faces in Victorian-era
photographs are rare; George H. Ray grinning in a prison mug
shot is truly unusual. Ray served 10 years for manslaughter in
the late 1890s.